Question about cracks and craze lines and transillumination.

[Yourbigpalal83]

Hey guys. OCD Question No noticeable changes In my mouth but I just figure id ask this.

If you can logically see a craze line on a tooth with transillumination (the act of shining a bright light on a tooth and lighting it up) then its just a craze line correct (a shallow crack in just the enamel, usually brought on by usual wear and tear and thermo changes in the mouth)

Now a crack would cause the light to shallow out and not light up opposing side of the tooth too correct?

I ask cause, to be honest with u last night I had what I thought was a dream where I bit a tooth in my sleep and heard a crack. Now of course this triggered my OCD and I spent the better half of the day inspecting my mouth only to find nothing.

(also ironically the location I thought I heard the sound, I lack a permanent tooth. the only tooth in the area is a baby tooth thats way to shallow to hit any teeth in the area. in fact most of my teeth in that area DONT TOUCH.

Anyhow, ive been having teeth dreams lately which trigger my OCD and I just want some clarification.

I used to chew on ice as a child and I broke 2 rear molars in the back which have been long since removed (2003).

Ive gotten dental fillings in my molars, I don't chew ice or any hard foods, have no real symptoms of cracked tooth, but my OCD causes me to constantly fear I still have a cracked tooth (via the fillings expanding since I got then in 2007-2008) or somehow some way me chewing on ice as a child I cracked another tooth and its just waiting for that perfect bite to show itself and I go through that pain once again.

I know its a irrational psychological fear, but its always there, and I just want some reality based facts by experienced experts to re assure me from irrational fears.

I just had my checkup on April 5th, given the all clear, yet to this day I fear that sharp sting and pain of a cracked tooth and the following abscess that shoots into my ear and is so painful I cant sleep at night because of it (that was the worse pain possible)

I apologize if im annoying in asking
-Al

 

[Gordon]

Al, I'm maybe being more dense than usual, but I'm not sure what you're actually asking here? Can you phrase it again for me?

 

[Yourbigpalal83]

I know cracks can be hard to find sometimes especially if there is a filling. My question is, if a crack is present within a tooth without a filling, then transillumination would show it, as the light would shallow out along the crack, and if its a craze it wouldn't, correct?

EDIT: Also I have this very odd thought in my head, that maybe you can confirm is nonsense. As you may or may not remember I have 3 minor chipped front teeth. a lower incisor, and my front left central and the one next to it. As I was told the chips are in the enamel only and aren't enough to do any work on outside of smoothing the edges which was done.

For some reason, in my mind I have this idea that when these teeth were injured (2 separate incidents one in 2013 with the one next to the central insicor and the bottom one, and the other when I was a child) that the teeth chipped, but the force of the blow traveled up and down the root of each tooth (one top and one bottom) not cracking them in the process until the force of the impact hit the root and cracked them under the gum and along the root.

Now, of course no one has ever said anything on any exam or X-rays..and they don't feel loose or anything. no splints, nothing.

This theory is nonsense right? the force of the impact was enough to just chip the teeth and thats it. Otherwise there would be long cracks from the teeth under the gums correct?

 

[Gordon]

1) Yes correct. If the tooth was cracked through then you'd probably see a shadow

2) Incisors are pretty delicate teeth. If you'd hit one hard enough to crack it then you'd have knocked it out or broken off the crown. I've never ever seen one cracked.

 

[Yourbigpalal83]

1) Yes correct. If the tooth was cracked through then you'd probably see a shadow

2) Incisors are pretty delicate teeth. If you'd hit one hard enough to crack it then you'd have knocked it out or broken off the crown. I've never ever seen one cracked.

Thank you for clarification Gordon. So the chipped teeth, the extend of the damage is very likely just the chips correct?

 

[Gordon]

Yes, definitely.